At The Time
by She's a Star
Summary: "By the way...why did you kiss me?" Rick attempts to smother his inner-romantic.


****

At The Time

__

by She's a Star

****

Disclaimer: The Mummy is not mine, which is quite apparent in this fic as I screw up Rick's character royally. I apologize in advance. 

...but you can read it anyway. Really. :)

* * *

I try to ignore it.

The way-too-fast pounding of my heart, I mean. The jolts of electricity that run through my veins replacing blood. 

If this is what I suspect it is - don't try to get me to even think that four letter L word - then I only have one conclusion.

This can't be healthy.

She's looking at me now; God, why can't she stop that?? I've fought countless bloody battles, and thanks to those eyes I may die of a measly heart attack.

Pathetic.

Never in a million years would I have believed that I'd fall for someone like her. In the past, the girls I'd gone for had all been the same: blonde and stereotypically gorgeous, one log short of a roaring fire but with a chest that easily made up for it. You know the type: great in bed, but completely useless otherwise.

She's so different.

Her eyes are constantly sparkling with a passion, a lively intelligence. I've spent my life with people so like me: seen it all, done it all, never without a snappish one-liner. It's not that she isn't wise or witty...I've only known the girl a day, and already she's almost gotten away with the last word in pointless banter. But she's so _alive_.

And beautiful.

The women I've been interested in before have always had one thing that annoyed me to hell and back: they _knew_ they were gorgeous.

Not her. She seems completely oblivious, too wrapped up in the prospect of approaching adventure and seeing the City of the Dead to care if her hair looks all right.

It does, though. Long and shimmering, like a waterfall of black-

Wait a second.

I realize that I sound like someone spewing out Shakespeare, and wonder if I should just bring the stupid gun I'm polishing to my head and put myself out of my misery.

Maybe it might erase the attempts at being poetic. 

I sneak a glance at her again. Back are the corny mental proclamations of lo...interest.

Okay, so it most likely would _not_ get rid of the poetry shit.

She looks up at me now, obviously curious about something but trying to hide it.

"By the way...why _did_ you kiss me?"

Oh God.

She studies me in interest, looking almost hopeful.

I'm tempted, almost, to go all mushy on her. Yup, to actually profess my freakish really-bad-poetry type thoughts...out loud. 

For a split-second, I debate doing this before drawing the rather obvious conclusion that she'd probably fall on the floor laughing. 

Never good.

Besides, I've spent twenty-seven years as big tough strong action-hero-in-a-nutshell O'Connell. Just because some girl is absolutely gorgeous and intelligent and wonderful and perfect doesn't mean that I can suddenly transform into hearts-and-flowers '_wherefore art thou Evelyn_' Romeo-Richard.

_Yes_, Richard. 

Tell anyone and I swear I'll kill you.

_You are O'Connell,_ I coach myself. _Macho man. Hear me roar! Now, you are _not_ going to go all sappy on her account._

And so I answer in true O'Connell fashion.

"I dunno," I shrug casually. "I was about to be hanged. It seemed like a good idea at the time."

_Not_ a wise answer.

Gasping in fury, she fixes me with a death glare (and damn, is she good at those...I could actually _feel_ the life sucking out of me) before storming off in a flurry of under-her-breath mumblings that I was pretty sure weren't professions of praise.

Apparently with this one, I can do no right.

It almost seems like she _wants_ Romeo-Richard instead of Tough Guy O'Connell.

Intriguing.

Not able to resist, I call after her innocently, "What? What'd I say?"

Unwise answer number two.

_Go after her, you idiot,_ Romeo-Richard instructs. _Are you _trying_ to get her to loathe you?? _

_What am I going to do?_ Tough Guy O'Connell scoffs. _Recite a sonnet? I'm sure she'll be reeeeally impressed._

_She _could_ be,_ Romeo-Richard says smugly.

I am suddenly overcome with the uncontrollable urge to harm the cheesy, lovesick bastard severely.

"Hehehe..."

_Or,_ I debated as my good old 'buddy' Beni made his presence known with an extremely annoying snicker, _I could severely harm someone else._

I fixed my eyes on the little stinkweed.

He'd work too.


End file.
